Most Inspirational Moment
Cycling down from Ooty was a blast.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Safi, and his assistants Shibu and Shaka were excellent.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring a gel seat cover!
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA
A lot of variety – some great sights and places. The cycling was enjoyable and a good workout most days. A very pleasant and active trip.
KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA
A great trip with a huge variety of experiences and scenery. I found the cycling challenging but achievable, and our two guides, Peter and Shibu, were excellent hosts.
Most Inspirational Moment
Getting to the top of Ooty!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Peter did a good job of looking after everyone and our bicycles!A highlight was when he took us on an impromptu trip to a festival near Guruvayoor where we saw a procession of 25 elephants decked out in gold splendour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The quality of the bicycles provided is fantastic so there is no need to take your own. Take plenty of antiseptic hand gel and wet wipes in small containers so that you can carry them with you all day. Have a massage at the Cochin Ayurveda Centre, located in the Hotel Fort House - it was the best massage I have ever had.
KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA
A really enjoyable holiday that exceeded expectations. This trip goes to places where there are few western tourists and you feel you are getting to know the real India – combined with great weather and fantastic food.
Most Inspirational Moment
Hard to pick just one - the highlights included - the elephant festival we attended near Guruvayor; the descent through the Western Ghats and the food which just gets better and better.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Pete was an excellent group leader - knowledgeable and experienced with a laid back approach. He went the extra mile to ensure that we all enjoyed the holiday.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't bother taking money to exchange - there are ATMs at numerous points along the trip and you get a much better exchange rate than when exchanging cash. There is an ATM at the airport.
KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA
A great trip. Getting off the beaten track in India, riding through small villages and along back roads, provided an opportunity to see India away from any other visitors. The welcome from the people of India, just riding past them, was amazing and completely unexpected. Some great cycling, and a very well constructed trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
The long descent from Ooty is an amazing ride - mile after mile of sweeping turns, with amazing views amongst the tea plantations.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The group leader has created a great trip, that blends some tough cycling (a very steep climb half way through the trip) with some easy and relaxing days (especially on the houseboats - which are lovely by the way). We also experienced some great food.
Advice for Potential Travellers
While there are 1-2 long cycling days these are taken at a modest pace. Most people of moderate fitness could do this trip and really enjoy it.
KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA
I consider myself pretty well travelled, but this was by far the best holiday I’ve ever been on. The organisation and planning was first class, aided by an excellent guide with local knowledge of the best cycle routes, eateries, hotels and cultural treasures. We hardly saw any other tourists for the majority of the trip which gave the sense of experiencing ‘real’ Indian life. The scenery was diverse and made every day seem like a new adventure, passing through the hustle and bustle of towns, quiet rural villages, tea plantations, coastal tracks and tranquil backwaters. The only constant was a chorus of greetings from excited local children, which seemed to follow us wherever we went. Despite being an active holiday, I found the balance between physical exertion and relaxation to be well planned. The houseboat experience was particularly therapeutic and reminded me how important it is to take some time to unwind whilst away. All in all an amazing adventure that I’d strongly recommend to anyone.
KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA
I kept thinking, "it can’t get any better", but it did!
Most Inspirational Moment
The 2200m steady descent from Ooty was spectacular. It was quite cool when we set off in the early morning and, after a few undulating miles through the Nilgiri Hills, we glided down through a range of climate zones to palm trees and the warmth of the plain. It was 5 hours of non-pedaling bliss with far too many temptations to capture the stunning scenery on camera. Another of the many highlights was the ride from chaotic Mysore to Bandipur National Park. On quiet country lanes, we were introduced, for the fist time, to rural life in India and jubilant greetings from dozens of children. This became a regular and heart-warming feature during the trip. It really is a different world in these small villages and cycling enabled us to see this at close quarters.Peter, our leader, managed to arange a cycle run to a Hindu festival and this was simply mind-blowing with a dozen elephants adorned in spectacular colours, huge bands of Keralan drummers and horn players and dancers supporting massive colourful spinning wheels. This was Hinduism at it's most vibrant! I heard that they manage to find a such a festival on most trips.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Peter was a suberb and confident leader with a huge bank of useful knowledge about the country. He was pleasantly laid back and there was no experience of being too organised; a problem among some leaders.Joseph, his co leader, was a delightful and considerate Indian guy and quite new to the job. He was invaluable as well as being a strong and fast cyclist.
Advice for Potential Travellers
When we first met as a group, two of the major concerns were, cycling in the chaotic traffic and the climb to Ooty. These were also my worries.Don't worry about the traffic. Things may seem a bit chaotic and your intrusion is just one tiny additional element to the scene. Drivers seem to cope well with all this; they are masters at judging your speed and avoiding you. Cycling through towns becomes a breeze eventually. Try to keep 3 metres away from the edge of the road and mantain a decent distance from the cyclist or vehicle in front of you. There's an abundance of pot holes and speed bumps in the towns and drivers tend to stop suddenly and without warning to negotiate these. Cyclists can be vulnerable in these circumstances, so the most important piece of advice in my view is to keep your distance, particularly in the small towns.The climb to Ooty is not a race even though an element of male and female machismo emerges at times! Some walked or grabbed a lift in the support mini bus for all or part of the climb. Others did it ever so slowly. Believe me, nobody cares a jot or tittle if you don't cycle to the top. It's a holiday, not a competition.
KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA
Cycling was by far the best way to get off the beaten track and see 600km of rural India. The diversity of the places we saw/stayed, the locals, the food, the wildlife and the culture made this a truly unforgettable experience.
Most Inspirational Moment
Going through the rural villages where everyone runs out of their houses (children and adults) to see us and wave to us was so special. These people have very little but they are truly inspriational in making the most of what they do have.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Pete, was fantastic. He was so knowledgable about everything we saw as well as the history of the country, the politics, the religions, the food and the people in general. He gave this information to those who were curious but didn't preach to those who weren't interested. Pete and his team (Shibu and Joseph - both also fantastic) ensured that our bikes were really well maintained, often working late into the evening whilst we were relaxing.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I had a point and shoot camera dangling from my wrist at all times whilst I was cycling so I was able to capture all the spontaneous wonders that I saw. The only problem with this is that with so many photos and so many places visited, when I got home I had no idea where a lot of them were taken. If you have an iPhone, I highly recommend you use this to double up some of the photos, especially location shots (eg beaches or temples) as the iPhone automatically uses GPS to plot your photo onto Google maps. This has not only helped me identify my huge catalogue of photos, it has brilliantly plotted the route for me. I also took some new probiotic pastilles called 'Bimuno Travelaid' each morning that I was there and a week beforehand. These are available from Boots or online and have great reviews. I would add to the good review - I had no problems with my tummy whatsoever.